Gage for shears



L. V. MOULTON. GAGE 30R SHEARS.

(No Model.)

No. 599,659. Patented Feb. 22, 1898.

PATENT E ICE.

LUTHER V. MOULTON, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN.

GAGE FOR SHEAR.S.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 599,659, dated February 22, 1898.

Application filed February 5,1897. Serial No. 622,114. (No model.)

To all whom it may cancer-mg Be it known that I, LUTHER V. MOULTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Grand Rapids, in the county of Kent and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shear-Gages; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the, invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in shear-gages; and its object is to provide the same with certain new and useful features hereinafter more fully. described, and particularly pointed out in the claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective of the usual form of shears having my improved gage attached. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same, showing the operation of my improved gage. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the gage detached, with a part of the bar broken ofi; Fig. l, a side elevation of the same; Fig. 5, an enlarged perspective of the clamp; Fig. 6, a detail showing a crosssection on the line 6 6 of Fig. 7, and Fig. '7 a detail showing the manner in which the shearblade engages and holds the gage-bar.

Like letters refer to like parts in all of the figures.

A represents the ordinary form of shears, to which my improved gage is adapted to be attached.

B is the gage-bar, consisting, preferably, of a square rod having an upturned end 0 to engage the edge of the fabric to be cut and also provided with a scale D, corresponding to inches and fractions thereof, measured from the upturned end 0. These scale-marks terminate in notches in the angle of the bar B, which angle is engaged by the back of the shear-blade.

The bar B is adj ustably secured to the back of the lower shear-blade and near the end thereof by means of a clamp E, preferably made of sheet metal and having a vertical flange H engaging the side of the lower bladeadjacent to the upper blade and an inwardlyinclined flange G engaging the opposite side of said lower blade and approaching the flange H toward the forward end to conform to the taper of the said blade. Said flanges are both vertical and in parallel planes at their outer end and provided with opposite transverse openings F F, through which openings the bar B passes and in which openings it is longitudinally adjustable.

The operation of my device is as follows: The bar B is adjusted with the scale-notch indicating the width of fabric to be cut adjacent to the inner surface of the flange H. The end of the lower shear-blade is then thrust longitudinally between the flanges G and H, with its back engaging the bottom of the clamp near the inner end thereof and engaging the scale-notch in the bar B near the end of the blade. The inward inclination of the flange G forms a sort of dovetail channel between the flanges of the clamp, within which the thicker back portion of the blade is securely held, and the longitudinal taper of the said blade enables it to operate as a wedge to firmly lock the bar B in place, the particular notch in the bar engaged by the blade serving to prevent any longitudinal movement of the bar. The shears and the fabric 1 are grasped in the usual manner, as shown in Fig. 2. The upturned end 0 of the gage-bar traverses the edge of the fabric between the thumb and forefinger of the hand as the cutting proceeds, and thus guides the shears in a line parallel to the edge of the fabric. The oppositely-proj ecting portion of the bar B serves to support the fabric in a horizontal plane. Also as there is nothing but the upturned end 0 projecting beyond the edge of the fabric it thus does not interfere with the hand and prevent holding the fabric in the usual Way, as when cutting a strip from the same. By bending the flange G inward more or less the clamp maybe made to fit blades of various thicknesses and taper. By the construction shown I reduce the device to two simple part-s, provide a clamp with a long bearing on the blade and readily adapted to various shears, and secure the bar in contact with the back of the shearblade and very close to the point thereof.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and wish to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. As an article of manufacture, a sheargage consisting of a clamp having flanges to embrace the back of a shear-blade and a transverse opening in said flanges, and a gage-bar having an upturned end to engage the edge of the fabric, and notches to engage the shear-blade and longitudinally adjustable in said opening, substantially as described.

2. As an article of manufacture, a sheargage consisting of a clamp having a vertical flange and an inwardly-inclined flange approaching said vertical flange toward the forward end, and parallel vertical ends to said flanges having transverse openings, and'a bar adjustable in said openings and having an upturned end and a series of notches in one angle, substantially as described.

3. In combination with a shear-blade, a clamp having flanges to embrace said blade, and also having transverse openings in said flanges and a gage-bar longitudinally adj 11stable, in said openings, and engaged and held by said blade, substantially as described.

4. In combination with a shear-blade, a gage-bar having an upturned end, and a series of notches in one angle, and a clamp havwardly-inclined flange at the other side, approaching the vertical flange toward the forlng a vertical flange at one side, and an inward end, said flanges also having parallel vertical forward ends, and transverse openings in which said bar is longitudinally adjustable, substantially as described.

5. In a shear-gage, in combination with the shear-blade, a bar having an upturned end a scale of inches and fractions thereof measured from said end, and notches in one angle opposite each scale-mark to engage the back of the shear-blade, and a clamp of sheet metal having a vertical flange at one side and a flange at the other side, having a vertical and parallel outer end, the remainder of said flange being inwardly inclined toward the vertical flange, and approaching the same toward the forward end to conform to the shape of the shear-blade, and opposite transverse openings in the parallel parts of said flanges to receive the gage-bar, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses. Y

LUTHER V. MOULTON.

IVitnesses: I

LEWIs F. FLANDERS, LOIS MoULToN. 

